U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,994 illustrates and describes a fixture for attaching a knife to a breadboard at the forward end of the knife so that the knife may be pivotally swung for chopping or slicing food. In one of the embodiments disclosed in the patent, the fixture is formed of a piece of resilient sheet metal, and it includes a pair of ears extending forwardly from a body portion and provided with aligned openings which receive a vertical pivot pin. The upper end of the vertical pivot pin is provided with a yoke with aligned openings, and these openings serve to receive a horizontal pivot pin on which the forward end of the knife is pivoted. The fixture also has clamping arms which permit it to be clamped to the edge of the board.
The combination of the present invention is generally similar to the combination disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,994, and it is intended generally to serve the same purpose. However, the fixture of the present invention is simpler in its construction than the fixture disclosed in the patent, and the knife is supported in the fixture in a manner such that it may be readily removed from the fixture, this being achieved merely by turning the knife through 180.degree. about a horizontal pivot pin. The fixture itself in the combination of the invention is a simple stud which extends through a hole in the chopper block and is supported on the block to be freely rotatable about a vertical axis.
A vertical slot is formed in the upper end of the stud in the combination of the present invention, and this slot receives the forward end of the knife. A pin is supported in the upper end of the stud, and it extends along a horizontal axis across the slot. The knife has a slot formed in its forward end which receives the pin, and which permits the knife to be turned about the horizontal axis of the pin to perform its chopping, slicing and/or dicing action. In addition, the knife may be turned with the stud about the vertical axis of the stud from one angular position to another on the top surface of the board. When the knife is turned through 180.degree. about the horizontal axis of the pin, the slot in the end of the knife permits the knife to be removed from the stud for storage and/or cleaning purposes.